Renora Week 2017
by Luccie Eclair
Summary: A collection of Renora works (originally posted to Tumblr under the name Luccie the Eclair and AO3 under luccieeclair). Most are fluffy so if you don't like cavities or sweet related illness, don't read The prompts are as followed: Childhood Memories, Passions, Anniversary, Family, Dress Up, AU, Life or Death, and the Bonus
1. Chapter 1

Focus (Renora Week: Childhood Memories)

The afternoon sun shined through Team JNPR's dorm as each member, but one, sat at their desk attempting to complete the calculus homework that their professor had given them that day.

The team's leader, Jaune Arc, sat at his desk completely lost. Math was never his forte and he'd occasionally ask his partner, Pyrrha Nikos, for help. She sat at a neighboring desk getting through the book work much quicker than he. Lie Ren, commonly known as Ren, resided on the other side of the room stuck on a problem that he simply couldn't wrap his head around. The last member, Nora Valkyrie, wasn't doing any calculus work. She all but abandoned the history work she attempted to read in favor of a mobile game.

Jaune looked up and noticed Nora on her bed playing what looked like Grimm Crush. They had all been given the same assignment during class today. Where was her's? "Nora," he started, grabbing her attention away from her scroll. "Where's the work Professor Hatter gave us?"

She shrugged. "I turned it in already." Her attention immediately went back to her game.

Jaune was surprised, shocked even. "When?"

"At the end of class. It didn't take long." Nora began to get frustrated with the lack of matches she could make without losing.

The team's leader looked down at his work. Professor Hatter and his stupid hat assigned problems one through ten. The only problem is that one through ten was also split into problems A through D, and sometimes E. They were really doing forty-three questions instead of 10. He got stuck on number five, part C. Bullshit she finished in class. "How? I'm only halfway done!"

Ren then spoke up from his corner having moved onto the next part a while ago, he'd ask Nora about it later. "Nora's always been very good at math. She tends to finish before most people even start," he said evenly. It looked like this next section would be an issue as well.

"Yep! Math is easy. Half the time, I don't even take notes. It just kind of clicks. Like, riding a bike," she said excitedly. It seemed like she moved onto a more entertaining game.

Jaune's mouth looked at those it could attract insects. Pyrrha giggled and closed it for him. "That is so unfair," he grumbled.

"It's okay, Jaune," his partner laughed. "Some people just understand numbers and equations better than most."

Ren soon turned around to see Nora scrolling through her ChatSnap. It looked like Yang was recording one of her puns whilst annoying Weiss again. Her shoulders shuddered as she laughed at Weiss's annoyed look. He spotted her history book, open and the reading still incomplete. "Nora," he said. "You should finish Doctor Oobleck's work soon."

"But I'm taking a break," she whined. "This chapter is boring anyway. I'd rather read one of my books." Her books told of tales, quests, magic, fights, and some romance. Not facts. Never facts.

"Finish your reading and I'll take you out for ice cream later," he bribed.

Nora seemed to be weighing her options. She wanted to see Neon's Chat story next, but ice cream… She sighed and put her scroll into sleep mode, placing it on her nightstand. "Can I have sprinkles," she asked.

Ren nodded. She went back to finishing the reading in preparation for the next lecture. He exhaled seeing the light from the window bounce off of her. She glowed. Her copper strands almost looked like they sparkled. Her face was scrunched and focused. He briefly recalled the last time her saw her like this: on her bed with a book in front of her. Hell-bent on completing her work.

The two children had been living in the orphanage on the outskirts Mistral for about a month now. They finally had a place to live with better clothes on their backs and edible food, but it was not a home. It didn't feel like one with the lack of family and loved ones. In fact, the two largely kept to each other. The other children in the orphanage were… rather malicious for people who lost everything much like themselves.

Nora would say that the best thing about the orphanage was their matron Alice, a pine marten faunus with ears and a bushy tail that others liked to pull on, she was the sweetest person on Remnant. Ren, however, would say that the best part about the orphanage was a new routine that was less hunger and fear inducing when asked. But in reality, the best part, was seeing Nora open up and speak more. He was getting used to sitting back and hearing her thoughts instead of always filling the silence.

That day, however, they did work in the book room with the others in their age group and Miss Alice. Ren had tried to teach Nora the bare basics of reading, writing, and math before being brought to the orphanage, but with so little materials and still learning a few things himself, it proved to be a challenge. Here, there were books, pens, and papers everywhere, along with someone much older and well versed at teaching children. She picked up on reading and writing fairly fast, but math and numbers… It was like she understood instantly.

They were going over basic addition and subtraction before moving onto a harder subject. The class recited numbers and answers to the problems Miss Alice wrote on the board until she gave them problems in the workbooks she handed out. The tiny redhead quickly opened the book and got to work on the assigned page.

After a few minutes, Ren looked over at his friend and laughed. Her brows were furrowed and her tongue poked out just slightly. Her face screamed concentration and determination. He looked over her shoulder to see that she was on a completely different page from what Miss Alice wrote on the board. "Nora," he poked her. Her head snapped up and she blinked a few times as if being in a trance.

"Yes, Renny," she replied with a small smile on her face.

He chuckled at his new nickname. "You're on the wrong page." Ren gently pulled the book towards him and began to go backwards in the book. She worked quite a ways away… All of the answers on the pages he passed were filled in. Gee, how far did she go? He was confused. Did she do all of these?

He heard a giggle and looked at his friend. Her face immediately snapped back to that innocent look that she seemed to have mastered. Ren knew better. She was up to something. He gave her a suspicious look and flipped one more page to where she should have been. The questions were completed.

Ren's brows furrowed. "Did you do all of these, Nora?" He was flipping through the other pages she finished.

She nodded, a bright smile on her face. Soon enough, Miss Alice came to check their progress. She nodded at Ren's and said "Good job, little fella" with a pat on his shoulder. She turned to Nora's book. She was on page 10. The board said pages 1-5. "Nora, this isn't the right page. Did you have any trouble?"

The little girl shook her head, but didn't miss the snickers from the other orphans when they saw her being admonished. Miss Alice was intrigued and looked through each page carefully. They were all correct. The faunus was surprised. She looked at the child, a hopeful glint in her eyes. "You did very well," the faunus praised. "I'm very proud of you. Would you like to take the book back to your room?"

Ren carefully watched the two, but more importantly, his best friend. He was hoping that she wouldn't be punished for moving so far ahead. Her face looked indifferent, but her eyes screamed hope and a hint of fear. The hope for pride from someone who mattered. The fear of disappointment as well. But he saw her face break into the biggest smile he'd seen since their arrival and he instantly smiled as well. She eagerly nodded her head and kept the workbook instead of having it taken up like the rest.

That evening, after dinner, Ren quietly went to the girl's bedroom to play once more before bed. The room had six beds, hers being the one just to the left of the centered window. Nora was the only one in the room; the other girls left to play dolls without inviting her. She lay stomach down on the bed, the math book in front of her with a pencil in her hand rapidly scribbling numbers on the page before turning it. The sun set in the horizon, the last moments of day pouring through the window.

Ren leaned against the doorway and smiled. She glowed. Her copper strands almost looked like they sparkled. Her face was scrunched and focused. She looked adorable like this, he decided.

Adorable turned to pretty turned to lovely turned to beautiful turned to gorgeous over the time he'd spent with her. His arm lay poised on the back of his chair and his head rested on his hand. Ren stared at her intently with nothing but admiration in his eyes. He allowed a soft sigh escape from his lips. He stared in an endless trance and he knew it, but he certainly didn't want to leave it behind.

The sound of a camera shuttering shattered his concentration. Ren looked to the other side of the room to see Jaune attempting to hide his scroll and Pyrrha trying hard to keep from laughing at her partner's clumsiness. "Get you a man that looks at you like this," the blonde muttered while typing. At that point, the champion couldn't hold in her laughter.

Everyone in the room heard the familiar sound of a ChatSnap notification. "Jaune Arc added to their story!" It was a picture of Ren staring adoringly at Nora from across the room, but she remained intently focused on her history reading and unaware with the caption Jaune uttered earlier.

The two who'd looked at their scroll blushed, but they had no time to react before Yang popped into their dorm holding her scroll and asked "So, are you two finally together or what?" She was ran out by a pillow thrown by "someone" with quite the arm.

The two pink faces turned scarlet and looked to their leader. A few wads of crumpled paper came flying at his head but moments later.

A/N: Okay, a doozy. I like to think that once they found a somewhat permanent place to stay, things got a little better for them. I could have gotten rid of a few more to be verbs, but… ehhhh. I forgot to mention that any jumps in setting or time will be marked with a ~*~. If you don't know what a Pine Marten is, do look it up. They are incredibly adorable.


	2. Chapter 2

You Are (Renora Week: Passions)

Most people would find it incredibly corny and probably call them saps, but if anyone asked what motivated them, drove them, what they worked towards, what their passion was. Ren and Nora would say that their passion and drive was their best friend. That was it.

The answer was often met with playful scowls or eyerolls or a muttered "of course" that they could only barely hear. But then they'd be met with the next question: Why? Why would you work for someone who may not feel the same way? Why would you work for someone who might not be meeting you halfway? Why would you work for someone who might not even be there for you in a few years?

Ren used to be offended by the question, the notion that Nora, his best friend, would drop everything they had and just leave. He knew her better than they did. Nora wasn't the type of person to leave her friends behind. Ever. There was no if, and's, or but's about it. But his response stayed the same: "I will always try my hardest to keep her safe and happy. Where she goes, I go. She's home," he'd say with a calm smile.

Nora would usually feel anxious about the following inquiries. What if this was a one-sided thing? What if Ren did leave? What if he got sick of her and just called it quits? Who would she have left? Where would she go? What would she do? What would be the point anymore? In her heart, she knew that she was panicking, but… those were real possibilities. She responded with "I dont know." Her mood would be sufficiently killed for the day.

It wasn't until they were engaged that their answers changed.

"Nora isn't just my home. She isn't just the love of my life. She is my soulmate and my best friend. She's my reason for pushing forward. She's my reason for being a hunter. She's my reason for being here as long as I have. The least I can do is make sure she's always smiling," Ren said with a brighter smile on his face as he'd watch her from a distance.

"I used to have so many doubts about our relationship, but now? I don't have a reason to have any. Ren gives me a hundred and ten percent. He's never given me any less. Besides," she laughed. "He's about ninety percent of my impulse control. It's only fair that I indulge him in fantastic kisses, cuddles, and sex."

On the occasions that he'd hear her, Ren would wrap his arm around her waist and whisper "We'll see if that's what you're saying when we get home," before lightly kissing her forehead. Turns out, she was lying about "indulging" him.

A/N: So… this is short af because I really didn't know what the hell I was writing and I'm certain that I missed the mark of the actual prompt, but it's gonna be okay. I should have replaced some of those verbs, but I'm a little tied up in packing so… Got a 1% NSFW, but no one in this tag is pure, so it's fine, right? Right.


	3. Chapter 3

Open When (Renora Week: Anniversary)

Warning: anxiety and panic attack(s). Will be addressed again in the author's note.

"Now that you are all third years," Professor Goodwitch began into the microphone on stage. "Your missions will be a little more varied than you are used to." There was a murmur amongst the students. She held her hand up and a hush fell upon them. "On top of your team missions, you will each be required to go on partner missions with anyone from your team and solo missions."

Team JNPR warily glanced at one another. Nora and her partner Ren held an indifferent gaze for some time before turning to pay closer attention. "While it is good to rely on your classmates, it is just as important to be independent and self-reliant. Your team will not always be with you. So, do continue to work hard this year. You are dismissed." The white haired huntress left the stage as the third year class hesitantly cleared the auditorium.

Lie Ren, once left to his thoughts, felt his hand firmly grasping Nora's. He didn't quite enjoy the idea of her being alone…

A full semester into the new school year and the team was called into Professor Goodwitch's office. They were the second team to be given their solo assignments, the first being Team RWBY, of course. Ren would be the first to depart, followed by Pyrrha, Jaune, and Nora leaving towards the end of the week.

"Nora," Ren lightly called to her at dinner. She snapped her head away from her partially eaten food.

"Yes, Ren?" Her voice seemed to lose the bright, jingle bell qualities it always had.

He took her small, calloused hand in his larger one. "We're going go be okay."

She nervously glanced down at her lap. "But what if you get hurt? What if I get hurt? We probably won't have good enough service to keep in contact. We'll be alone with no one to help us. What if we're lonely or scared?" Nora continued to ramble. Her eyes getting wider, scarier. Her breathing accelerating. Ren firmly squeezed her hand and activated his semblance. He watched the bright color in her cheeks fade to grey. He witnessed her quickly losing energy as her anxiety seemed to recede. "What if we lose you like we lost Pyrrha," she whispered.

The color returned to her at a rapid speed as did her energy. She'd caught him off guard. That was not something he had in mind. He quickly looked at his table of friends. They each looked at the pair, uncomfortable and worried, especially the other half of his team. One of them looked almost guilty.

Ren looked back at his girlfriend of almost a year. Her eyes glazed over and watery. He knew how much she hated crying in front of peers. He grabbed his water bottle and took her out of the dining hall to an empty courtyard. She quietly cried into his shoulder as he held her. "I can't lose you, too," she said.

He gently held her away by her shoulders and grasped her chin to force her eyes on him. "You won't. I promise I will be back by the time you get back." He took her smaller hands and closed her fingers around the bottle. "Drink."

"What if-"

"You're going to come back fine, Nora."

"But-"

"And when you get back, it'll be our one year anniversary, right?"

She nodded and swiped at her tears with the back of her hand. She fiddled with the water in her hands and opened it it to take a sip.

"Then when you get home, me and you are going out for pancakes and have a movie night in the common room. Or, whatever it is you want to do. It'll be a night to celebrate our first, successful solo mission and being together for a year."

She sniffled just a tad. "Can I have chocolate chip pancakes?"

Ren lightly bit his lip and laughed. "Plain, chocolate, blueberry, whipped cream, extra syrup. Whatever you want."

Nora lightly smiled. "Coffee?"

He gave one of his rare, louder laughs and kissed her cheek. "Don't push it. You know you can't have coffee."

She lightly pouted, but then smiled when his arms engulfed her. He pressed his lips to the tip of her nose. "Boop," she whispered.

Everything appeared okay for the moment. Her panic attack had subsided, but he could tell by the tension in her muscles that she would be anxious for the next few days. It would take more than pancakes and movies to put her at ease.

Teams JNPR and CVFY stood in front of the airship to see Ren off on his mission to Vale for a standard extermination. Everyone but Nora had given their good lucks and hugs. When he did get her, she almost didn't look at him.

Ren went into his small backpack that had his ammunition and tools for Storm Flower and pulled out a pink box with a yellow crown on the lid. She gaped at him. What would he be giving her a gift for? "You have to promise that you won't open it until you've left for your mission," he instructed.

Nora nodded and gingerly took the box. Curiosity almost got the better of her. "You'll be back, right?"

He smiled. "As long you will, too."

"One minute until launch," a crewmember called from the ship.

Ren looked back at Nora and hastily brought her in for a kiss. It would be his last for a three or four days. He pulled away and pecked her cheek, almost missing the cat calls coming from Coco. "I'll be right here when you get back. You can do this." He gave a salute to the others before jumping onto the airship as the doors were closing.

Nora slept with Pyrrha that night and when the rest of her team was gone, she went to sleep in RWBY's dorm as they returned from their assignments the same week. RWBY stood together at the docks to see her off the next morning with hugs and a good luck.

She sat on the airship alone with her bag and weapon next to her when she remembered what Ren had told her a few days before. She pulled the small box out of her bag and opened it. There was a note on the lid that read: "I know you're nervous about doing this alone, so I left you a set of letters in case you needed one of us. Think of it as an early anniversary gift. I miss you more than you know. You're going to be okay. -Ren"

A small smile graced her lips and she looked through the envelopes. There was one that instantly caught her eye: "Open when you miss me." In the envelope was a card that held a picture of Ren grinning down at her as she laughed. "I miss you more" was written underneath it in his green scrawl.

Throughout her next few days in a village miles away from Mistral, she'd open one of the letters that matched her less than cheery mood almost every day. Each had a special card with a picture or a note, sometimes both.

"Open when you're anxious" had instructions for grounding herself. "Recite ten things you see, six things you hear, four things you feel, two things you smell, and one thing you taste. Remember to take deep breaths and drink cold water if you can."

"Open when you need a laugh" was written in Yang's sharp letters. "You are a-NORA-ble! P.S. Weiss just hit me".

"Open when you miss home" carried a picture of their professors with the message "At least you don't have homework -Oz/car."

"Open when you need a kiss" had a bright, red lipstick mark signed from Ren. The fact that he actually put on lipstick was better than the distant kiss itself.

"Open when you miss your friends" held a picture of the group, plus teams CVFY and SSSN, smiling into the camera.

And so on with the rest. Nora opened each one when she felt sad, stressed, or weak. She opened a letter when she needed to smile a little more or just a little bit of support. She opened one just to read how much he loved her, though she didn't need much reassurance there. She opened them all except for one.

On the airship back to Vale, she rejoiced over her successful mission and the wonderful people she'd met in the village. They even gave her a few souvenirs! She released a sigh of relief and looked around the ship. It was dark save for a single overhead lightbulb. Oh! The last letter!

Nora took the pink box from her bag, the corners slightly worn from use by then. The last, unopend envelope sat in the back of the box. "Open when it's our anniversary." On the left of the card was Ren's loopy cursive in green ink: "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in person, but I miss you so much. Happy anniversary. I can't wait to see you, love." On the right, was the picture Velvet took at the previous year's dance. The two trapped in a passionate kiss (Nora remembered being on her tip toes). Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his were around her waist.

Soft tears welled in her eyes and she swiped them away as fast as she could. Can't get puffy eyes before seeing the gang again, right? Right.

They waited at the docks which were unusually crowded that day. Foreign exchange students came in for the festival, families visited, tourists came to see the sites and fesrival, the Schnee Dust Company made deliveries. It didn't help that the person they were looking for was the shortest in their group and could actually be anywhere given her history of disappearing out of the blue.

"Do you see her," Ren called up to the youngest, Ruby, as she clung to the streetlamp.

"Not ye-" she stopped herself short. "Nora!" Ruby frantically waved her arm to get the red-head's attention. She looked down to Ren who was attempting to see over the wave of students. "She's at Port Three," she told him.

The black-haired hunter took off in her direction. Bad stamina be damned. He spotted her speaking to the pilot of her airship. She gave a small bow, shook his hand, and turned to walk away. She froze the second she saw him. An ecstatic beam broke out and she ran to him.

Ren was ready for once. He wouldn't be plowed again. Once Nora was close, he scooped her into his arms. Her jingle bell giggles sounded off in his ears. Gods above, he missed it. He separated his chest from hers. "Happy anniversary," he said to her before being pulled in by her soft lips.

A/N: I was going with the "Nora has anxiety HC" paired with the "Ren's semblance helps with invisibility and getting your thoughts to calm tf down HC". Shit, I did too much oh well. I used Ren's semblance and the grounding technique that I use (looking around and naming things I see, hear, feel, taste, smell, drinking water, deep breatgs) because it helps for me and I figured it may work out well for Nora. I know that that isn't a method that works well for everyone, but I feel like Nora is one who may need to be brought back to the present if she panicked.

Anyway, here's the source of my title and inspiration for this fic. If you have someone deployed that you want to do something like this for, go ahead. It's super heartfelt and I'm sure they'd love it!

Source: /2015/02/open-when-letter-topics-deployment-separation/


	4. Chapter 4

Of Castles and Cockblocking (Renora Week: Family)

Warning: Fluff overload. If you don't like cavities or sweet related illness, turn back now.

The Ren Family had just returned to their home the previous evening just before midnight ready to pass out, at least that was the case for the adults. Nora and her husband of ten years, Ren, had come home from a mission and spent hours turning in a report for Goodwitch and Pine before heading to the Arc house for dinner and to take their children home. That task alone took forever seeing as none of their three children wanted to leave despite living but a few minutes away. Once threatening a week stuck in their rooms, two rambunctious children came hurrying with the youngest calmly making her way to the car. Then came the chore of actually wearing them out enough to finally get to bed.

The sun brightly shone through the blinds and into Nora's closed eyes. She shut them tight, but it was too late. The sun decided it was time for her to face the day. Damn. She stretched with a yawn and looked over to the alarm on the dark, wooden nightstand: 10:37 in the morning. She turned to look at her husband. His hair spilling out of his once sexy man bun, face serene, one arm lay crushed under his pillow while the other draped itself around her waist. He looked beautiful.

Nora lightly kissed his nose to wake him. No result. She pouted and pecked his lips then his jaw. She felt him flinch and smirked. "I know you're awake," she laughed. A loud snore responded to her. "Now, I know you're awake for sure. Get up." Another snore. She laughed and went to leave a trail of pecks down his jaw and neck.

Her hands found themselves at his firm waist, her rough fingers lightly tickling his sides. A chuckle sounded from his chest as she continued to lay kisses down his bare chest to his stomach. She waited silently like a predator ready to pounce. He slowly relaxed back into the mattress. She striked. A loud raspberry was blown into his stomach while thin fingers went up and down his sides like a spider. He lurched from his pillow with a loud laugh and tried in vain to push his playful wife away.

Eventually, he got enough control to return the favor and received swats to his shoulders in return. Once the two had calmed down, Ren engulfed his small wife and delivered kisses to her lips and full cheeks. "Good morning, my queen," he croaked, his voice hoarse from both sleep and laughter.

Nora giggled and placed her arms around his neck. "Good morning, Lie."

He groaned and kissed her neck. "I love when you say my first name," came his voice muffled in the crease of her neck and shoulder.

She brought up her knee to graze against his groin, his fingers tightened around her. "I can tell," she whispered.

Pink irises met turquoise. "Are the kids awake," she asked.

Ren sat up and listened. The house remain silent. Nothing stirred and nothing sounded. "I doubt it. Our castle is awfully quiet this morning."

Nora gave him an amused look. "I thought our bed was our castle."

"Then what would our home be," he challenged.

"Our kingdom. The castle can't get too loud, though. We can't wake our subjects, can we?" Her hands travelled down his stomach as her teeth grazed her collar bone.

"The kids aren't subjects, Nora."

"Well, they aren't citizens. That implies that they have power. No one has power under my rule. Now, are you going to debate or indulge me before we have to make breakfast?"

"Brunch, actually. It's close to noon now," he pointed out before moving his hands under her nightshirt.

The tell tale signs of a door opening and the pitter patter of tiny feet across the wooden floorboard sufficiently killed the mood. The couple sighed and rested their foreheads against each other, a silent promise to continue in the evening. Their bedroom door burst open and small, olive skinned child with a long, black mop crawled into their castle. "Good morning, mommy and daddy," she chirped from between the two.

"Good afternoon, Ming," Ren replied to his small clone. Similar skin tones and the same, midnight mane. The difference being that she had bright blue eyes that were slowly getting a little more teal as the years progressed.

"What brings you to my castle, child," Nora greeted with her best imitation of a witch while bringing the eight year old closer to her.

The little girl laughed. "I want chicken nuggets."

"We're having brunch," her father reminded her.

The girl pouted. "Chicken nuggets."

Before Ren could muster a retort, their bed dipped further when their ten yearold son clambered on top his father. His father lifted him from his awkward perch and into his arms. Kensley, their eldest child, lay looking at his mother. He certainly was her son. Bright orange hair that was beginning to reach his shoulders, his face littered with his mother's freckles, but his irises shone a soft magenta.

"Daddy, where's breakfast," his hoarse voice asked.

"Yeah, daddy. Can we have chicken nuggets," Ming chimed.

"Yeah, daddy," repeated Nora, instigating the discussion further.

Ren delivered a playful glare and she gave a cheeky smile in response. "Nora, don't encourage them. Kids, we're having brunch, not nuggets, so pick breakfast foods."

"Atlesian toast," said a small girl from the end of the bed.

The parents lifted their heads at their youngest daughter and child, Iman. She stood there squinting as she rubbed the sleep out of her brown eyes. Her short, brown hair stuck up in a few places with her spotted leopard ears and skinny tail drooping just slightly. She was a dark skinned, Mistrialian Leopard faunus that the couple adopted two years ago after finding her in a ruined village on a mission.

The seven year old pounced onto the bed to lay between her two siblings, but quickly gravitated to her older brother who gently ruffled her hair. Kensley nodded to his parents. "With powder sugar," he added to the menu.

"And extra syrup," Nora called happily as she reached over to tickle the newest addition to the family.

"If we can't have nuggets, can we have bacon instead," asked the middle child.

Ren chuckled at his family. "Yes, too all requests. Now, who's helping me cook?"

Silence.

He rolled his eyes and lifted Kensley and Iman over his shoulders. "If you won't help, then you can at least start getting dressed for the day." He set the two on the floor outside of his shared bedroom and away from the once crowded castle. The two quickly ran off to their rooms along the open hallway with Ming following close behind.

Two, pale arms found their way across his torso. He turned to see his wife, copper strands, rosy cheeks, bright eyes, and scattered freckles smiling up at him. "You know," she began before twisting him around in her arms. "We have the best kingdom in all of Remnant."

Ren bent down to press his lips to her forehead. "There's no doubt about that, my queen."

A/N: Mostly fluff with a tad NSFW for my fellow sinners. These were just the renora babies that I came up with. I couldn't use French toast, because France sort of doesn't exist , but Atlas (as I've interpreted it, so feel free to correct me) is kind of like Europe/Russia… Eurasia minus all of the Asian countries but Russia??? I don't know. This is actually the one that I am really really proud of. Like, they've all been fun to write, but I was always nervous about the others. This one, I feel more secure with. So… I guess I won't tag this one as trash .


	5. Chapter 5

Keeping Score (Renora Week: Dress Up)

"Stop moving."

Ren sighed. If his eyes were open, they would have been rolling. A soft sponge coated in green foundation patted away at his once olive complexion. This had been going on for a good few minutes. He felt the skilled hands travel under his jaw, so he took it as his cue to open his, now green eyes. His best friend, partner, and girlfriend sat on his lap with her brows scrunched in intense focus.

Her face was patted to a light blue and she temporarily dyed her hair black with a white streak. A stitched scar ran at the bottom of her left eye and she wore black lipstick on her top lip with black contacts. Her costume consisted of a form-fitting, short navy blue lab coat that flared out under a black belt and reached her thighs, black leggings, and matching combat boots and gloves that sat next to her.

Nora had worked incredibly hard in between her classes and the occasional mission to create her costume. To create all of their costumes, actually. Ever since Jaune had gotten them all hooked on Kim Possible, they'd taken to binging it on team bonding nights rather than actually going out. Thus, their team costume for the Hallows Eve party materialized itself in a few weeks time. Pyrrha and Jaune's costumes were relatively easy and the champion had makeup for herself and Jaune's freckles. However, Nora never half assed anything and simply made her and Ren's costumes from scratch. (She really should consider making a career out it. She certainly had the talent.) But that brings us to a female Drakken, or "Drakkene" as Nora called herself, meticulously covering "Hego" in green foundation and contour.

"Drop your jaw," she commanded lightly. Ren hesitantly opened his mouth. He knew what was coming and they bickered over whether it was truly necessary to wear lipstick. Then his teammates sided against him. Then he lost… Point one for Nora. The cold, black solid brushed against his top lip and glided across, then again to fill in any light gaps. "Do not rub your lips together or so help me, Ren," she warned. "But, you're done!" She happily jumped off of his lap to put her gloves on and he did the same. He began to miss the pressure of her weight upon his lap.

Ren stood from his and Nora's bed to inspect her handiwork. Despite stating that he didn't mind temporarily dying his pink streak, Nora elected it to stay. It made his costume seem more suited for him, she'd said. Speaking of, the costume itself wasn't skin tight which was a blessing. It took her hours to sew it in a way that he wasn't restricted and his "goods" wouldn't be seen. His boots and gloves were two different hues, black and green. She'd completed his look by styling his hair into gentle waves that morning. His girlfriend always did an amazing job on their costumes, but this one had to be his personal favorite despite the lipstick that he'd be more than happy to remove.

"Ren," Nora called from the hallway. "Quit checking yourself out so we can take pictures and party!"

Pictures actually took longer than they thought, especially when RWBY and SSSN and CVFY and Penny and Oscar all decided that they wanted pictures as well. It was quite the spectacle seeing eighteen hunters attempting to squeeze into a front facing scroll before giving up and asking for outside help.

Eventually, after nearly an hour, the group had arrived when the event was in full swing. The ballroom was decked in dark colors with spider webs, blood, and Grimm corpses. Everyone dressed in either actual scary costumes or cosplaying as pop culture figures. RWBY toed the line and accomplished both at the same time.

Ren had given his first dance to Nora, of course, before she quickly jumped off to dance with everyone else. He'd seen her give a dance to Jaune, Sun, and Neptune at some point, but mostly stuck to Pyrrha, Penny, and RWBY. Later, Sky Lark got brave enough to ask her to dance before he was shot down almost painfully. The dark haired man himself had danced with Pyrrha and most of RWBY (the leader herself felt too shy to even ask before he asked her onto the dance floor). However, he mostly stuck to the sidelines watching his girlfriend smile and dance with everyone.

It was hypnotizing, he thought. The way she moved her hips and swung her hair every which way. Her dancing was both erratic and controlled in a way he couldn't describe. Nora knew how to dance and how to move to any beat -the two of them often learned routines from their favorite Mpop groups together. But when she lacked any set guidelines and she was amongst trusted peers, she liked to hang back and go with the flow of whatever felt right.

"How are you holding up," the voice of his leader, Jaune took his attention away from his girlfriend who had gotten rather close to a zombified Goldilocks. The young man himself looked a little worse for wear. His hair even more disheveled than normal with a brown top lip marked on his jaw.

"I'm doing well. You seem like you could use a break, though," Ren replied a smirk gracing his lips.

"Pyrrha has way too much energy. This is the first break I've gotten all night."

"You should use this break to wipe off her lipstick."

Panic set on Jaune's face as he excused himself to the bathroom. Ren chuckled and turned back to Nora who now shuffled with Oscar, the latter seeming a tad awkward though still enjoying himself. She laughed and looked in his direction. Black contacts met green ones as she winked at him and turned back to their circle of friends. She said something before separating herself from the clump and skipping her way to Ren.

"Having a real group of friends is actually a little tiring," she said as she got closer. "I almost wish it were just us again, but then who would I hang out with when you're doing your meditating thing?"

Ren huffed out a small laugh and turned to get her a cup of punch, but took a small sip to make sure there was no alcohol. He couldn't have her getting drunk. Once failing to taste anything out of ordinary, he handed her the cup. "I guess you'd have to sit and get bored waiting for me to finish."

She scoffed. "I'd rather sit in class. At least there's background noise." She took a sip of the bright red drink, her tongue lightly poking out to nab a lost drop on her blue, bottom lip. The innocent move shouldn't have affected him as much at it did, but there he was staring at her plump, black and blue lips. They quirked into a small smirk. "Ren, you're not good at hiding your stares."

He looked into her eyes. They dazzled despite her colored contacts. "Well, it took you years to figure out I was even staring in the first place, so I believe I am doing something right," he gave her a coy smile as though he'd one-upped her in a game. Ren: 1, Nora: 1.

"Oh, but everyone else seemed to notice, so you clearly didn't do as well as you think." She gained the upper hand.

"And whom are you referring to?"

Nora gave him an incredulous look and pulled out her scroll. Ren knew that he definitely lost this one. She scrolled through her gallery and began to show him various pictures of him staring at her when she was turned away. "This one was taken by Jaune." She flicked her finger. "Pyrrha." A flick. "Yang." Flick. "Blake." Flick. "Ruby." Flick. "Sun." Flick. "Coco." Another one. "Os-" He pressed his lips to hers in an effort to gain the leas once more. He was still down by a point.

The female Drakken brought her gloved hands to the back of his neck and pulled at his waves until their lips parted. Bits of blue foundation stuck to his green bottom lip as green foundation stuck to her blue lip. She chuckled and leaned onto her tip toes to reach his ears. "What do you say we leave and turn our makeup teal," she seductively whispered into his lobes before playfully nipping at them.

After that pick up line, Ren honestly couldn't take her seriously. His chest rumbled as he laughed and clutched her closer to him. His head lazily fell into the crook of her neck as his laughter got a tad softer since it was muffled. "That was very bad, Nora," he said once he got a little more control over himself. She definitely lost a point for that. They finally tied.

The blue woman whined and tried to push him away, but his kept a firm hold on her. "I was trying to be sexy," she exclaimed before lightly swatting his chest. "Bully." She pouted and crossed her arms. Gods, did he love this girl.

"You don't have to try for me. I already think you're the sexiest woman alive." He kissed her pouted lips and watched as it melted away into a tiny smile. Yet another point for the young man. "Can I still take you up on that teal offer?"

She peered back at their friends, still having a ball before looking back. Something told him that they'd be doing a lot of one-upping for the next few hours.

A/N: God this took so long There's bits of fluff. Lots of my headcanons at work here (sorry if Ren is a tad OOC, I tried). I totally think that Ren and Nora have little battles of one-upmanship before it dissolves into either laughs or kisses. Mostly playful fluff with implied NSFW after the ending. Jaune and Pyrrha are dressed as Kim and Ron. Ren and Nora are Drakkene and Hego. Ren's costume is the same as Shego's just for males (this is my way of getting out of drawing a trash illustration). The inspiration for Nora's Drakkene costume came from my favorite Kpop group, Gfriend , during their Fingertip era (link: https//forums/topic/2075-170306-starcast-gfriend-jacket-photoshoot-behind/). Dammit, every time I think of Hego, I think of He-man, then I start singing that dumbass song . I need sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Dear Nora Valkyrie (Renora Week: AU)

"Okay, take a lunch break. Your director wants you back in exactly one hour," the Asian man instructed the cast of dancers before taking a sip of water. One girl, in a red dress passed by him. "And, Ruby?" She stopped to look at him. "Maybe try not wearing a dress to rehearsal."

She blushed and nodded. "I didn't think we'd be dancing. I'll remember tomorrow."

The man chuckled and grabbed his bag before meeting with their assistant director, Glynda Goodwitch. He received brief instruction for their next rehearsal and made mental notes before leaving the dance room and walking down the long halls of the studio.

He had about 3 hours to eat lunch and get ready for his dance students. One door he passed read "Cast and Crew for TEM only" in pink, curly handwriting with a heart on the bottom. There was music seeping through the cracks of the door with what sounded like singing.

"Cause I'm tap, tap, tapping on the glass. Waving through a window." Gorgeous singing from a girl, it sounded like.

He glanced at the sign. He was the choreographer and would be credited on the playbill. That made him crew, right? Definitely. The man opened the door and stepped in while the singing continued. He quietly shut it as to not disturb them and looked around the room. Barren, blue walls with white tiles, but what brightened the room were the mannequins who were adorned with costumes and stray bits of fabrics and measuring tape. The front right corner of the room had two, wooden dividers -a dressing room of sorts. On the back wall was a desk with a sewing machine, a small set of speakers, a lamp, and rolls of silk, cotton, and literally every other type of cloth and to the right of it stood a sofa. On that wall were sketches and designs with precise measurements tacked in various places with a checklist close by. But sitting at the desk was a young woman with bright orange curls and a blue bandana wrapped around her head to prevent bangs from getting into her eyes. She wore a pink hoodie that practically swallowed her and white leggings; her shoes were no where to be seen.

The man stood captivated by her movements. Her fingers flowed over the seams and checked, double checked, and triple checked the design next to her. She skillfully removed the pins she set into the cloth as she sewed it together while belting the climax of a piece from Dear Evan Hansen. He watched her pause as she held out the final note and rest her head on her palm.

A throat cleared. The seamstress jumped in shock and turned around. Her pale skin was burried under freckles, but amidst the mess of jumbled constellations on her skin were bright, teal eyes under round specs. Jingle bells spoke to him. "Can I help you?"

"Um, no," one of his hands stuffed itself into the pocket of his sweatpants. "I just heard someone singing. I got curious. You sounded beautiful." Nice introduction. Ten out of ten.

Her face flushed and she smiled. "Thank you, but I was just messing around. Keeping myself a little entertained while I work, you know?"

The choreographer nodded in understanding. "You make costumes."

"And build the set with some outside help, of course. Did I get your measurements?" She swiftly turned her back to him and scuffled under the mess of thread, fabric, and papers, but came out with a clipboard. "I could've sworn I got everyone last week. What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm not a cast member," he said as he stepped closer to her and pushed the clipboard down. She looked up and he gazed into her orbs. "I'm Lie Ren, but just call me Ren. I'm the choreographer."

She gave him a thousand kilowatt smile. "Nora Valkyrie. Pleased to meet you." She held out a hand, her fingernails painted in pink and blue patterns. Her face scrunched in confusion. "I've done work for a lot of musicals, so I know a lot of people, but I've never worked with you. Is this you first show?

He smiled at her and nodded. "I'm a dance professor at one of the universities. I figured I'd try something a bit different."

Nora smirked and grabbed her phone from behind the sewing machine. It still played showtunes that blared from the speakers it was connected to. Her fingers circled around the screen into some lock key that no one should be able to remember, let alone create, and handed him the phone. "Show me."

Ren visited her workshop of headless mannequins and drapery everyday after practice for months. He occasionally joined her in building the set and he had the paint splatters on various pairs of sweats to prove it. Eventually, he'd decide to bring lunch from home so he could sit with her a touch longer before having to leave for his students. They had a set routine that never grew tiresome: he'd pop in while she was mid-song (she used to stop when he entered, but slowly got comfortable enough to sing louder when he came in), he'd sit on the sofa and watch her work, and they'd just talk. About what? It didn't matter. Anything and everything. Sometimes he'd just sit and listen to her voice glide over the sweet melodies pouring from her speakers. Sometimes he'd join her on parts he knew she couldn't sing at the same time as others. Other times, Ren would sit and watch her fingers coast the fabric and thread in her hands, no talking necessary, just the melodies of her voice gliding through the room.

It was easy to tell that the two admired one another. The fleeting glances, the eye contact that held many a conversation, hidden smiles, flushed cheeks, and lingering touches. They'd given away their obvious infatuation, yet the only ones in the dark were themselves.

Of course, the two had been teased by fellow crew members. Blake and Weiss, the acting and vocal coaches respectively, near threatened to write a poem and a song in his name. The makeup artist and hair stylist, Yang was very vocal and pushed Nora in his direction more than once before running off or placing mistletoes over them despite it being spring. Ruby, Oscar, Jaune, and Pyrrha, all of whom were lead cast members, took the sensible approach in trying to just get them to go on a date without any elaborate schemes. "Talk to him/her", they said.

Yet, when the opportunity arose, neither took it. Both remained passive, close friends who admired one another from a distance. A rather close distance.

"Nora-"

"Ren-"

They paused and locked eyes before bursting into laughter. She looked away seeming almost apprehensive. "Go ahead. It wasn't that important."

Ren raised a brow at her. She'd been doing that a lot recently. Starting questions and never finishing them. She looked anxious. "Are you sure? It seems important."

Nora flashed him a smile dimmer than the one he got from her earlier. "Nope. Ask away, Ren."

He wouldn't press her on it now, he decided. He had a slightly medium sized fish to fry. Well, it could be big, maybe. He'd been planning to ask for a few days now… so maybe a medium large fish? "Are you ever going to audition Anastasia? They're supposed to start practice in November."

That was not the question he meant to ask, in case anyone was curious. Apparently, his lips had other plans today.

She pursed her plump, rosy lips in thought. "Jaune asked me about that… Maybe. But probably not. The others are auditioning anyway. I think I really like my job. You know, behind the scenes stuff. Sounds cool and mysterious."

Ren smiled softly and took her hand. "You should go for it anyway." He'd ask her another time then.

The first show was hectic, but it went as smoothly as anyone expected it to. Nora mostly stayed backstage checking everyone's costumes and patching any emergent tears. She didn't get much of an opportunity to actually watch the show. She walked down the corridors to the costume studio to grab her things. A bouquet of moss rosebuds lay at the foot of her door with a long, folded pamphlet attached to it. She gingerly plucked them both from the ground and opened the pamphlet. It was a map of New York with the words "Does anybody have a map… to dinner?" in black scrawl. The woman laughed. Clearly her friends were up to something and, judging by the handwriting, Dear Evan Hansen joke, and the flowers, Yang and Blake were involved. In a smaller, loopy cursive, she saw "Meet me on stage."

Nora glanced both ways down the hall, searching for prying eyes. She certainly didn't feel any on her backside, but figured she'd check anyhow. Her sneakers began to squish against the tiled floor as she made her way back to the stage. The sight itself shocked and confused her, but it made her break into a smile and giggle.

The Tuck Everlasting set still stood proudly and the pink stage lights from Hairspray shined down on a table set for two with a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs. An exasperated Ren sat at the chair across from her behind what looked like a window in a striped shirt and a fake cast. The West Side Story soundtrack played from a stereo next to the table.

A voice loudly "whispered from the wings. "Ren, wave."

He rolled his eyes and raised his casted arm to wave at her. She let out a full laugh. "For the record," he started. "My idea didn't have so many moving parts. I was gonna leave you flowers and a note. Then you'd meet me here, and we'd have pancakes, but everyone else had a different plan."

Nora's laughter died down and she sat in the empty chair. "Is this a date?"

"Well, it feels more like a date with our friends than each other. But yes, it is supposed to be a date."

She bit her bottom lip and reached for his uncasted hand. "You can take me on another this weekend." She saw his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "This is really cute, though. We've got a Tuck Everlasting set, Hairspray lights, West Side Story music, Lady and the Tramp dinner, and Dear Evan Hansen on you."

Ren groaned and interlocked their fingers. He peered at her behind his shaggy bangs. Her smile alonewould power all of Manhattan for years. "Okay," he conceded. "Maybe it isn't terrible."

A/N: First and foremost, huge thanks to @rwbywriter22 @scarlet-curls @flagbearer-or-scouts @claraowl even if I didn't use all of your ideas directly or word for word, you really helped me get the creative (ish) juices flowing. I kid you not, I finished this 5 minutes before posting it because I didn't know how to finish it until yesterday . I obviously don't own any shows that were mentioned. Um… I probably could've taken out that part before the end, but whatevs. I actually really enjoy this AU. Someone make a slow burn/slice of life series out of this *realizes who wrote it* I should make this a series *realizes that i have zero time* actually, a one shot is good.


	7. Chapter 7

Support (Renora Week: Life or Death)

Warning: Death, life support (is that too much of a spoiler… It is in the title and the prompt. I just don't want anyone getting too upset. Whatever, just read if you want).

He'd been sick for weeks with a disease that was undergoing research and, as of currently, incurable. It started with light coughing, then came the shortness of breath that used be rare becoming a constant. Ren never had the most stable lungs, but they were better than other hunters. No one ever considered him to have an illness, though.

It had been late in afternoon when he collapsed, struggling to breathe, and Nora dragged him to the nearest hospital. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the doctor said. Incurable, he said. Something about a breathing machine, IVs, a heart moniter.

Life support.

After almost a month, they were running low on funds. Since when did medical bills get so high? Nora tried everything she could to get extra lien to keep him alive. She took an extra mission, she assisted her friends whenever she could, and took odd jobs around Patch in between watching her three children and visiting Ren everyday. It wasn't enough.

"Nora," he called to her one afternoon under his ventilator.

She looked up from the paperwork she all but wrangled to make sense of. He looked miserable with pale skin and sagging eyes, but she'd never see him as anything but amazing even when he lay sick and drooping. "Yes, Ren," she chirped with a bright smile that she forced a little more these days.

"Cut it."

There was a pause. She knew exactly what he was talking about. "Cut what? The air conditioner? I can turn it down or-"She was already up and across the room to turn down the air.

"You know what I'm talking about, Nora. Cut the support."

"No," came the simple reply.

"Yes. There isn't anything they can do. We're dragging it out-"

"Ren, they could find something to help you any day now," she whispered. She had yet to face him. If she did, the meltdown that she feared would rear it's ugly head and with Ren in this state, she couldn't be helped.

"We both know that isn't true. We're delaying this. I already know this is draining our bank accounts."

She had enough. Nora turned around and instantly felt her eyes sting. "No, it isn't. We're-"

He held up an envelope that said "NOTICE" in large, red letters. "Please, Nora. Bring the kids tomorrow, so I can see them. And let everyone know for me."

"But…" her train of thought trailed as she looked at him. His eyes were pained, brows scrunched, and clear streaks ran down to his chin. It was hard for him, too. She nodded and went back to his bedside. A chaste kiss met his cheek and a warm hand enclosed his and squeezed. "I have to go run a few errands, but I'll be back tomorrow. Should I bring Jaune and Pyrrha?"

Ren nodded and stared at the wall ahead of him, his thoughts drowning out the overhead television. He wanted some time alone, she could tell.

Nora got in what would soon be her car, pulled out her scroll, and went to her messenger app. She spotted the exact chat she was looking for: Rainbow Buddies, aptly named by Ruby Rose. "Hey… Ren wants to cut the support tomorrow… I can tell he doesn't really want to, but-" She erased the last sentence. "Can you guys please call him and talk to him, even if it's for a few minutes? I think he needs it right now." She clicked send and shut her scroll off. She'd no doubt be flooded with calls and messages, but she just wanted time to think.

She decided to take a drive around the island before picking up the kids.

The door opened to a tear stained Jaune who immediately engulfed her while she clutched onto the back of his shirt. She felt a hand rubbing her back and she turned to see Pyrrha with red, puffy eyes and flushed cheeks.

The small woman pulled away. "He wants to see you tomorrow. Are you free in the afternoon?"

The couple nodded and each took one of her hands leading her inside. Five children, one just entering his teens, sitting in front of a television watching a happy, Disney movie. How fitting. They each turned around and their eyes brightened. "Mom," three of them called. "Aunt Nora," exclaimed the other two.

Her three, Kensley, Ming, and Iman ran to her to greet her, but stopped short noticing her saddened eyes. She got on her knees to look at them, though Kensley, at thirteen was already reaching her own height. "We need to talk when we get home. Go get your things and say bye to Louise and Eros and say thank you to your godparents for letting you stay the today."

The trio exchanged a worried glance and got their bags. After exchanging hugs with whom they called cousins, they bowed to their godparents, gave them hugs (Jaune and Pyrrha practically held them), and quietly headed to the car.

The radio normally filled the silence followed by bickering over the station, followed by singing. The ride home this evening was still.

Nora sat them in the living room next to one another and took a moment to look them over. She saw Ren in every single one of them. Their thirteen year old son's, calm, magenta orbs. Their eleven year old daughter's olive skin and stark, black hair. Even their adopted ten year old began to take on some of his features, like his small, but passionate facial expressions.

When she broke the news to them, she'd gotten the response she expected. Kensley looked broken and disappointed as quiet sobs racked his thin frame. The youngest, Iman, voiced nothing. She remained stoic and unmoving, but the streaks down her cheek gave her away. Ming reacted the worse. She screamed, she kicked, she cried, she called Nora a killer for turning off his life support, she said that she hated her and would never forgive her. Nora knew that she didn't mean it, but it still felt like a knife had torn through her. She still felt like a failure despite her husband's wish.

The next afternoon, the Ren Family made their way to the hospital. Ming gave her the silent treatment. The Arc's were already there having seen the sick man before they arrived. Nora sent the kids in first, then blankly stared at the cream walls. She caught glimpses of the conversation: some yelling, crying, but many laughs.

"Promise me that you'll be good for your mom and look after each other, okay," she heard. Everything was muffled after that. The kids would be out at any moment and then she'd have to face him one last time. "Tell mom I want to see her."

The three trudged past her and sat around Pyrrha and Jaune who happily lended them a shoulder. Nora slowly walked in and closed the door behind her. She turned and he greeted her with a small smile. She approached his bed cautiously.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Of course. "Looks like you're saving me once again." She huffed a small laugh. "Everyone came to visit yesterday. Not Weiss, but she did call me while she was away on her mission. Thank you." Nora nodded. It was silent between them. She wouldn't look at him, but all he did was stare at her. His dulled eyes boring into her, memorizing her once more. "Do you remember the orphanage and Miss Alice? Remember when you found your semblance? That scared the shit out of me. I thought I lost you."

An inkling of a smile took the corners of her lips. "That was a crazy Thursday."

"Remember our combat teacher, Tana? Or, when we first got into Beacon? You were so excited and nervous. I still think about the day Beacon fell. I was worried about you the whole time." Her smile left as she recalled the same night. "Remember our first kiss? Once we got to Mistral? Your lips tasted like syrup, by the way." She laughed again. "Oh, and at Kuroyuri, I discovered that polka dots look really great on you." She laughed even louder. "I like to think back to our first time, and our wedding, and our honeymoon. You were so excited when you found out you were pregnant, but you were so miserable during it. I almost couldn't keep up with your cravings. Then you got pregnant again, and Ming drove you insane. Iman was such a blessing especially since you didn't want to go through another nine months of hell."

Her laughter soon dissolved into tears. Their lives started out so horribly, but it melted away into something resembling amazing. It was as if all of that was being torn away yet again. She felt his hand, clammy yet firm, grasp her hand.

He'd taken the IV out of his arm. There would be no need for it soon. "I filled out all of the paperwork and everything yesterday. They said they didn't want to move me into hospice then because so many people kept coming in and out, it'd cause confusion." The salty liquid continued to pour as she looked at the bland walls above his head. "Nora, please look at me." She shut her eyes tight and opened them.

His eyes seemed to brighten up, but they quickly got watered down. She wanted to say it, those three words. She couldn't say them. A shaking hand went to tap his nose, but the mask…

"I love you, too. I miss you already." Her forehead met his. Her teardrops fell and fused with his own. "I want to kiss you."

"But the-"

"I know, Nora." His vacant hand slid into her locks. His eyes all but begged.

She quietly accepted it and locked in their fate. She removed the mask from his face and pressed her lips to his. His hands clutched and clung to her hand and her hair. His last breath left him quickly.

Nora didn't need to hear the elongated beep of the heart monitor to know that he'd left them.

Over a year later, a widowed mother of three sat in what used to be a shared master bedroom early in the afternoon dressed in an forest green dress. She reached for the drawer in the nightstand and pulled out a worn, pink box with a faded, yellow crown. It'd been given to her over 15 years before. She pulled out an enveloped near tattered from the amount of times they were separated on this day.

"Open when it's our anniversary."

A/N: It's done. This actually broke me to write it and hit a tad too close to home. I'm too tired to do free choice, but I'll try. Ugh, it's a little too melodramatic, but I've never done a death prompt before, so let's call this a work in progress. I considered killing off Nora and making this Ren-centric, but I'd already done quite a few from 3rd person Ren-limited POV, so I decided against it. I did as much research on COPD and life support as I could before I called it quits and just wrote, so a lot of stuff may be off. Geez, this fic legit left me emotionally exhausted. I had to stop every few paragraphs to cry I'm supposed to be a badass and this ship is ruining my whole shortie, bad girl persona.


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